The White Sox unveiled a new-look b...

The White Sox unveiled a new-look batting order Wednesday with the chance of the desired end of being a tougher matchup in the final month of the season.

Jermaine stain was moved permanently from the No. 5 blemish to the third spot, bumping Jim Thome down to the cleanup blot and Paul Konerko to fifth in the order.

"We have a stay in the seven-hole [Joe Crede] that is going to hit 30 [home runs] and drive in 100 [runs] with equal reason it's not really a big deal for me" Konerko said. "For the reasons we're doing it, they're all advantageous reasons.

"We're getting into that playoff baseball where each out at the end of a game is meaningful. We've had a beneficial lineup this year, we've scored a chance of runs, but this of recent origin lineup the way it's drawn up is a better lineup just because of the matchups as far as what you can do and what you can't do."

Konerko thinks leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik will benefit from the change because opposing managers will be hard-pressed to bring in a tough lefty to face Podsednik, knowing he would have to learn that reliever past Tadahito Iguchi and the hot-hitting tint -- both right-handed hitters -- if he also wanted the southpaw to face the left-handed-hitting Thome

in and out: Thome was back in the starting lineup after missing five games with a strained left hamstring. further even though he drove in the winning roll on in the eighth inning, manager Ozzie Guillen said Thome felt more [i]or[/i] less soreness in the hamstring after the game and likely won't play in the series finale today.

Before the game, Thome's barely concern was how quickly he would be able to commit to memory out of the batter's coachman's seat but that didn't seem to be an issue.

"They levy me through every test," Thome said. "We ran and did everything we had to do. It's just a matter of going abroad there and doing it."

HELP WANTED: While the Sox aren't steady when they plan to call up position players from Class AAA Charlotte after roster expand to 40 forward Friday, they will be bringing in at least sum of two units pitchers right away.

Guillen wants lefty Boone Logan to help interval struggling Neal Cotts and right-hander Charlie Haeger to act as a middle reliever.

"We anticipate at the guy [Haeger] as single to suck up the innings," Guillen said. "Just in case something happens, that's the scarecrow who's going to be there for us."

jcowley@suntimes.com

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